Electrolyte control device



Jan. 19, 1943. o. o. RIESER ELECTROLYTE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Nov. 7,. 1959 III- INVENT OR.

Ouveq 0. Russ/g.

BY (Mew/w ATT RNEYS.

Patented Jan. 19, 1943 gUNl-TED STATESh PATENT OFFICE 230:,829 I ELECTBOLYTE. CONTROL DEVICE Oliver 0. Rieser, Oak Park, 11L, assignor to The Richardson Company, Lookl'and, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November I, 1939, Serial No. 303,296 7 Claims. (!..136-178) My invention relates to types of electrolyte control devices such as those set forth in the copending applications of Charles L. Keller,

to Fig. 2, showing the filler opening in more de tail and showing the filler cap in position.

Serial No. 276,826, filed June 1, 1939, now mationed applications disclose electrolyte control means for batteries having a cell cover and a filler opening including a well. From the bottom of th well a tubular member passes downwardly to the desired normal electrolyte level. The bottom of the well has a gaswventlng perforation exterior to the tubular portion Just mentioned; and within the well there is a weight operated valve member serving to close the vent perforation when the filler cap is removed. Thus as electrolyte is poured into the filler opening when the level of the electrolyte reaches the end of v the tubular member, it will rise rapidly therein to give an indication when the cell has been filled to the proper level, and will prevent overfllling of the cell. When the filler cap has been placed in position to close the filler opening, it actuates the weight operated valve to open the vent perforation to provide for free egress of gases from the space above the electrolyte level.

It is an object of my invention to provide cer tain modifications and improvements upon the structures hereinabove referred to. It is particularly an object of my invention to provide an improved fulcrum arrangement for the weight operated valv member which is .of'a simplified construction and which is not likely to bind against the sides of the well or in any way to interfere with its proper functioning.

These and other objects of my invention which will be set forth hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading m. 2 is a partiallongitudinal sectional view through the upper part of a storage battery cell and cell cover.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the weight oper-- ated valve member.

I. have shown only so much of a storage battery as is necessary to show the applicability of my invention, and I'will therefore not describe the cell of battery box construction. The filler opening is generally indicated at III, and is threaded as indicated at I I to receive a filler cap I2. Gen- 1 trally of the well and extending downwardly into Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar is the cell space is a'tubular member ii, the bottom of which is disposed at the desired electrolyte level. Exterior to the tubular portion. i3 is the vent opening it.

Grooves or slots it are provided extending vertically down the side of the wellv Ill, said grooves being disposed generally opposite each other as shown in Fig. l, but less than degrees apart, so that a line connecting said grooves across the tiller opening is not a diameter. These grooves form mounting means for the valve element, as will be pointed out hereinafter.

The valve member which is shown in detail in Fig. 4 is generally a flat ring shaped structure indicated generalb' at I, and is provided with ears or pintles II. It will be clear that the members II will be spaced apart circumferentially of the valve I in the same degree as the grooves II, so that when the valve II is placed in the well ll, the members I! will engage in the grooves I! at the bottom thereof. The bottom of the well in the region of the vent M will be slightly sloped as indicated at it so as to form a flush seat for the valve I. when it is in a closed position as shown in Fig. 2.

It will now be clear that when the filler cap I! is screwed into place the bottom thereof as indicated at ll, will bear against the upper part of the valve II, depressing it until the valve occupies a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that when the valve is in the position of Fig. 2 with the filler c'ap'screwed in place, the space above the electrolyte is vented through the opening H, the hole in the center of the valve l6, and the vent 20 in the cap.

The construction shown in the drawing operates in the same manner substantially as those in the above mentioned copending cases, and the valve member is securely held against rotation and against planar displacement.

It will be clear that modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. and I there- 2 I asoasao v Q 7 I age battery having a cell cover provided with a I filler opening in the form of a well, a vented filler I cap for said opening and a tubular member of less internal diameter than the bottom of the 10 ment of said valve member horizontally, and to well depending therefrom, the said bottom of the well having a gas vent perforation exterior to said tubular member;- a weight operated valve member adapted to close said gas vent but not said tubular member, non-diametrically disposed l5 pintle means on said valve, a pintle engaging means in the wall of said well, said engaging 'means being disposed .to hold said valve in such aposition'when closing said gas vent that a portion ofsaid valve extends upwardly of said'zo age battery having a cell cover provided with a as filler opening in the form of a well, a vented filler cap for said opening and a tubular member of less internal diameter than the bottom of the well depending therefrom, thesaid bottom of the well having a gas vent perforation exterior to go said tubular member; a weight operated valve member generally in the form of aperforated disk, non-diametrically disposed pintle means on said valve, a pintleengaging means in the wall of said well, said engaging means being disposed to hold said valve ina non-horizontal position when closing said gas vent whereby a portion of said valveextends upwardly of said pintles'for valve opening engagement with, said filler cap when the latter is in position to close said filler 40 opening.

3. In an electrolyte control means for a storage battery having a cell cover provided with a filler opening in the form of a well, avented filler cap i'o said 0 nin an a tubularmemberof less r pe g d crum, in "combination with s vented filler cap internal diameter than the bottom of the well depending therefrom, the said bottom of the well having a gas vent perforation exterior to said tubular member; a weight operated ivalve member generally in the form of a perforated disk, a

said valve in a non- -horizontal position to liefiush on the saidseat when closing said gas vent, whereby a portion of saidvalve extends upwardly of said pintles for valve opening engagement with said filler esp when the latter is in position I to close said filler opening. v

p when in weight actuated position to contact'said 4. A device according to claim 1, in which the pintle engaging means are constituted by vertically extending grooves in the wall of said well disposed to register with said pintles on said valves, said grooves being of such extent that when said valve is retained therein and is in position to close said gas vent, a portion of said valve extends upwardly of said pintles.

5. In an electrolvte control means for a storage battery, a cell eoverhaving a. filler opening in the form of a well, a tubular member depending from the bottom of said well and open therethrough, said tubular member being of smaller a shoulder isprovided at the bottom of said well, said shoulder having a perforation therethrough exterior to said tubular member and a portion of said shoulder adjacent said perforation acting as a valve seat, a valve member in said well, perforated to permit filling through said tubular member, and adapted in one position to engage said seat and close said perforation, and cooperating configurations on said valve member and on the side wall of said well to prevent displaceprovide a'fulcrum for-saidvalve member, said configurations comprising projections on said valve member and bottomed grooves in said side wall, terminating in such position as to raise said valve member from said bottom and cause it to assume under gravity a slanting position in said filler well in which position a portion 'of said valve member extends upwardly from said ful-- crum.

6. In an electrolyte control means for 'a storage battery, a cell cover having a filler opening in j the form of a well, a tubular member depending from the bottom of said welland open therethrough, said tubular member being of smaller cross-sectional dimension than said well, whereby a shoulder is provided at the bottom of said well.

said shoulder having a perforation therethrough exterior to said tubular member and a portion on the side wall of said well to prevent displace- 4 ment of said valve member horizontally, and to provide a fulcrum for said valvemember, said configurations comprising projections on said valve member and bottomed grooves in said side wall, terminating in such position as to raise said valve member from said bottom and cause it to assume under gravity a slanting position insaid filler well in which position a portion of said valve member extends upwardly from said fuleng'sgeable in said filler opening and having a portion for contacting said valveand tilting it on said fulcrum. 1 7

7. In an electrolyte controlmeans fora storage battery having s en cover provided with a filler opening'in the form of a well. a tubular member of less internal diameter than the bottom of the well dependingtherefrom, the said a bottom having on' one side a raised portion shaped to form a valve seat, and of minor area as respects the total area of said bottom, there being a gas vent perforation through said last mentioned portion and exterior to said tubular memher, a weight operated valve member adapted valve seat portion and close said perforation, said valve member being cut away to permit filling inthewallofsaidwellsodisposedastoretain.

said valve in weight actuated position out of contact with said bottom, excepting for said valve seat portion, whereby said valve may be actuated: against gravity, by a pivotal movement onsaid pintle means, to a position out of contact with said valve seat portion.

OIJVER O. RESIIR, 

